I think it might be possible to turn your home or office computer into a prayer wheel. I got this idea from old documentary films I’d seen about Tibet and the prayer wheels of Lhasa. I’m sure you know the ones I mean: those prayer wheels in the public square, which anyone can come and turn so that they repeat Padmasambhava’s ancient mantra, OM MANE PADME HUM. When I first became conscious of these ancient mechanical prayer devices, I remember thinking, "What a great idea," because I could visualize the vibrations emanating from those long, canister-like metallic tubes with prayers inscribed on the outside. It was almost as if the worshipper didn’t even have to say the words if he or she didn’t want to, because the prayer wheel was saying it all, anyway. The person praying only had to lightly spin the prayer wheel, and the mantras were then echoed into the atmosphere on behalf of all beings. Well, ever since computers and the Internet have become more and more involved in our lives and we in theirs, I have had the feeling that there is something sacred going on with all these electronic devices, as well as the mundane and the profane. One day, I learned that I could put words of my own choosing on my computer’s screensaver. A friend happened to mention casually that he knew how to do it and gave me the instructions. The screensaver, by the way, is a program that brings moving images onto your screen, whether they are shapes, patterns, pictures, etc., because if there is no movement on the computer screen, not even one colored pixel, as they’re called, it may damage the screen. The electrons have to keep moving. So screensavers were invented. After a couple of pointers, I learned how to change the words on my screensaver, shocked at how easy it was to do it, and I was able to have the machine display the words: "May Peace Prevail On Earth…In All Hearts…One Day…" In moments, these words were repeating across my screen. I had set the machine to have the screensaver come on if I don’t touch the keyboard for at least five minutes. Then it occurred to me: every time my computer screensaver runs the words "May Peace Prevail On Earth…In All Hearts…One Day…" across the screen, the computer is acting just like a prayer wheel! Watching it do its thing, I suddenly thought, What if one thousand people did this? Or ten thousand? It would mean that every day, for so many hours and minutes, around the world, this mantra, or a similar one, for world peace would be sounding — silently to be sure, but the thought would be resounding, echoing, electronically. The main thing would be "May Peace Prevail On Earth," after which you could choose to add something personal to it or not; it’s up to you. Here are the steps to make this happen on your computer, if it is a PC like mine. [Editor’s note: the commands described here are not exactly what I found on my computer, and I didn’t have the option of entering anything longer than "Peace Prevails"; nevertheless, I was able to figure out what to do based on these instructions.] Enjoy this, and make your own computer into a prayer wheel: 1. Double-click on "My Computer." 2. When box opens, double-click on "Display." 3. When "Display" opens, click "Screen Saver" in the tabs on top. 4. Click on "Settings." 5. Where it says "Text," type in "May Peace Prevail On Earth," and then add the prayer of your own choosing. 6. Pick the Background Color you like 7. Pick the Speed by pushing the arrow to the left for slow (I found that the slowest speed is the best for this). 8. Click on "Format Text." 9. Another box will open after you click on "Format Text." I found that Times New Roman, Bold Italic, and 72 point worked best for me. 10. Then click "Okay" near the upper right corner. 11. Now you’re back at the box that says "Display Properties" at the top of it. Click "Preview" to see what you have created. (Note: there is also a small space to say when you want the screensaver to come on. I have chosen "5," so if I walk away from the machine it comes on after five minutes. 12. Click "Apply" in the bottom right corner of this box. 13.Now click "Okay," and the box will close. 14. If you decide to try this, let me recommend that you have these instructions next to you so you can follow them step by step. Who knows what effect it might have? And anyway, it’s fun to imagine 100,000 computer screens around the world, repeating the mantra over and over again, "May Peace Prevail on Earth…" And in all hearts. One Day. Send comments, thoughts, or suggestions to the author at <ommm7@hotmail.com>. |